


An Unconditional Tail

by jezsiema (jezsiema656)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: F/M, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:55:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24001705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jezsiema656/pseuds/jezsiema
Summary: When a fishy conscience bugs the hell out of a girl
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/fem!oc, gladiolus amicitia/amalthea leonis
Kudos: 4





	An Unconditional Tail

**Author's Note:**

> Art by @b4belast (Twitter)

Guilt.

That was the feeling that overwhelmed her. And it has been bothering her so much she felt the fear of rejection. She continued watching Gladio setting up camp at the Lachyrte Haven off Galdin Quay beach. She offered to help, but he insisted she sit and enjoy the sight of the topless tattooed man in his natural habitat.

_> >> Tell him the truth!_

The voices of her conscience bothered her, and she hated it. She did not want to spoil the mood. She twirled her finger around her colourful curls. As the voices in her head got louder; she felt like screaming. The sultry salty air felt oddly cold. As if it felt like a million icy pins pricking her skin. Gladio continued hammering the nail into the ground to keep the tent sturdy. Sweat rolling down his glistening brown skin.

_> >> He deserves to know the truth._

Amalthea looked down at her feet. She argued with her conscience in her mind; stating that he will think of her as a freak. Absentmindedly, she did not realise that she nearly spilt her drink. _He won’t love me if I told him_ , she thought. From worry, she felt depressed. Amalthea’s green eyes focused on Gladio, and she felt the fear of losing him if he knew the truth. But the nagging voice in her head assured her that it would be all right.

_> >> If he genuinely loves you, he will accept you for you._

Just the thought of rejection frightened her. She continued watching Gladio, as the fire danced in between them. Loathing herself for being cowardly and selfish. Her eyes eyed only him, and the smile he gave her when he noticed her watching him. 

_> >> That smile has made your heart soar._

She did not want to lose that, and his love. “Amalthea?” he called. His voice tender and ringing with love. The way he looked at her made her love him more, but it hurt her just as much. As her conscience persuaded her to confess, she felt the heave in her chest. Unknowing what will happen if she told him the truth but the voices in her head hounded her. He knelt beside her, a face written with worry and her hand in his. “Are you okay? Your face is pale.”

_> >> Just tell him! _

His name escaped her lips, and their eyes met. “I have got a confession to make…” she started, but her gaze averted from his. His calloused hand cupped her cheek. She had to get it over with. The look he wore on his face was not of fear but worry, she noticed. A weak smile formed on her lips as she leant in to peck him lightly. “Gladio, we have been dating for almost a year, and I have never told you once about what I am.” The shock on his face when she said those words seemed visible. She feared for the worse, but her conscience continued nagging her.

“Amalthea, what are you trying to say?” Gladio asked, confused. He could not help but notice the fear filling her green eyes. Just like her, he, too, felt afraid. The fear of losing the woman he had fallen deeply in love with.

She bit her lower lips, finding the right words to say to him. She wondered how she should word her confession without startling him. “Gladio,” she whispered, taking his hand. “I am scared.”

The poor man got even more confused. He wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. “What are you scared of?”

“You, rejecting me,” she simply said, resting her head against his chest.

“Rejecting you?” he asked, pulling away from here. _So, this is what it is about_ , he thought. Since they met earlier that day, she had been in a mood he did not recognise. He noticed that she had been distant and had not been talking much. He did not say anything about it because he thought maybe she needed some space. Whenever they met up at Galdin Quay, she had a million things to say. Even as he set up the tent for the two of them, she’d be chatting non-stop or offering to help him. That day, she seemed reserved. “Why would I reject you?”

She looked away from his burning eyes and sighed. “I have kept a secret from you since we met, Gladio. I was too afraid to tell you the truth. I am not who you think I am…”

“Try me then…”

“Gladio, I am a mermaid…” she whispered, peeking up to look at him. She noticed the look on his face. He threw his head back and guffawed. There were tears in his eyes as he laughed at her. She watched him as he held her in his arms. It offended her in a small way, but she knew that he was a man who would believe his eyes. “I am not joking,” she murmured. She felt annoyed, and at that point, she had to prove it to him. “Fine!” she yelled, releasing herself from his embrace. 

“Wa-, what?” he asked as Amalthea stood on her feet. Her green eyes looked like they were on fire from the reflection of their bonfire. The flames danced in her eyes. Somehow, her strength got to Gladio. The way she released herself from his embrace. Amalthea had always been gentle but that strength got to him. 

_> >> Prove to him, Amalthea._

“I am and I will!” she hissed at her conscience, and that left poor Gladio confused. She started undressing, and that made Gladio panic. He jumped up to cover her body, but she hissed at him like a feral cat. If she needed to give him proof, she’d do it that way. She was ready for whatever will happen between them that night. It might hurt her, but at least she has told him the truth. At least the tight squeeze in her chest would go away. 

Nothing could describe the shock he felt when Amalthea started undressing until there was not a string of thread left on her body. She grabbed his hand, and they walked towards the water. Luckily, there was not a single soul but them there. It was the most secluded part of the beach. He’d hate it if others were eyeing his girl. “Amalthea, where are we going?” he asked. He wanted to joke with her, but he saw the fury in her eyes. Yet, she did not say anything to him. She stopped before entering the water, and she turned to him. This time, he noticed the mixture of fear and sadness in her eyes. She stood on her toes and pecked his lips before backing into the water. She moved until the water covered her chest. Gladio went after her, worried for her. She mumbled something, which sounded like a spell, and there was a bright glow from where she was.

“Ama-” he stopped; in fact, he did not know how to react when he saw her tail. Unfortunately, he could not control himself when his jaw dropped in shock. As fascinated as he felt, he remained speechless just staring at the tail of the girl he fell in love with. The reflection of the crescent moon in the water broke with the ripple, reflected by her shiny scales.

The look on his face said it all. The man she loved failed a simple test. There was a look of denial judging from how his eyes stared at her tail. Maybe, it was time to say goodbye after all. She waited for him to say something but he did not say anything. “My father was right. Humans will never love our kind,” she finally spoke. She swam towards him with the intentions to kiss him for one last time. “Since I got your reaction as an answer, I will take my leave then. Thank you for showing me what love is Gladiolus Amicitia…” she whispered, kissing the side of his mouth. “I bid you farewell then…” she told him, cupping his cheek feeling his rough stubble grazing her hand. Those slender fingers studied the structure of his face for her to remember in times of longing. “I am going to miss you,” she smiled at him before turning away from him.

Amalthea knew it was the end of a beautiful relationship between her and Gladiolus Amicitia. It was time for her to go back to the sea and face her father. She has made one confession, and it was time to find the right words to tell her father that he was right. She looked towards the resort and recalled the good times she spent with Gladio, and it was at that hotel where their bodies first entwined.

_> >> He was not for you then._

For once, she agreed with the voice in her head. The voice that hounded her to tell him the truth. Her conscience can make a mistake, too, after all. From there, she said to herself that she would not listen entirely to her conscience. She lost it all in just one confession, and it hurt her.

She sighed deeply before going under the water, but a firm grip at her wrist held her back. She turned and saw Gladio’s tears streaming down his face as he shook his head.

He did not want to say goodbye. He was not ready to say goodbye, nor was he prepared for it. Most importantly, he did not want to lose the smile he fell in love with all those months ago. When he watched her back away from him, he felt his body froze and unable to say anything but the man bottled within fought his way through. Struggling with himself was no easy task, but he came out triumphant.

“So what?” he broke the silence. He saw how Amalthea’s’s green eyes grew, even in such a situation, he noticed how beautiful she looked. The pale light from the crescent moonlight complimented her.

“Gladio?” she murmured, looking at his grip at her wrist before looking up at him. She noticed the smile on his face, and that was the same smile he gave when they first met. Pulling her towards him, he held her in his arms and refused to let her go. “I-” she paused as he pressed his lips against hers. His amber eyes met her green orbs, as he held her body close to his.

“I am madly in love with you, Amalthea. Since the first day, I met you. What makes you think that I will change my mind?” he asked as he caressed her face with his finger. Without saying anything further, he took her into his arms and smiled. Upon impulse, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

_> >> He loves you!_

He carried her out of the water and brought her back to their tent. Slowly, and gently, he placed her onto the ground and scrambled for a towel. Being the avid reader that he is, Gladio knew mermaid tails could transform into legs when they’re dry. Still, he did wonder about Amalthea’s ability to remain human even when wet, but that’s for another day for her to confess. For the meanwhile, he zipped up their tent for some privacy.

She pats her tail until it was dry enough to transform into legs while Gladio sat next to her watching her every move. “Gladio, I am sorry… I was afraid you’d freak out,” she murmured.

“Afraid? I am the one who should be the one afraid you’ll freak out!” he laughed, and it was sincere and hearty. She never thought she’d hear it again.

Her hair fell over her face. Gladio smiled at her and brushed her hair aside and kissed her forehead. Gladio noticed; even while she did not look up at him; her cheeks started to turn red. Ever so gently, he placed his finger under her chin and tilted her chin up so he could take a good look into her eyes.

“I am sorry, Gladio for assuming the worse…” she murmured.

“I love you, Amalthea. I love you for being you. Nothing will ever change my mind about it,” he told her moving in to kiss her lips. He did not expect her to respond to his kisses, but she did. The feeling they both felt was mutual; they wanted a sense of belonging with each other. At every touch he made on her already bare body, she felt the warmth of his love. The heat of passion happened in the tent while they got lost in each other’s love. Every breath and sigh that escaped her lips made him yearn for her even more. If it was possible, he wanted to feel her passion throughout the night but he knew she needed to rest. 

As Amalthea slept peacefully and contently in his arms, that was when he suddenly remembered. Slowly, he laid her body down and scrambled for his trousers. Gladio jammed his hand into the pocket to check if it was still there; he heaved a relieved sigh, knowing that it was.

Gladio pulled the ring out and smiled, knowing it did not slip out when he undid his trousers or worse, in the sea. He went back to where she laid and brought her into his arms again. Slowly and gently, his fingers traced every part of her face. _I’ll let her rest now and ask her to marry me tomorrow instead,_ he thought, as he grinned to himself. Before drifting off to sleep, he kissed her forehead and said the words he often told her.

**I love you.**


End file.
